“Serving the Whole Community”
“Health is education, good nutrition, self-esteem,
immunizations, exercise and fitness. Health is
prenatal care, vitamins, clean water, moderation,
stress management and a caring family.
The basic fabric of health is people discovering the
capacity within themselves, within their
communities, to solve problems.”
— Kresge Foundation Position Paper, 1992
The
Need…
If
it is to fulfill its mission of improving the health
of communities it serves, Houlton Regional Hospital
must do more than treat illness. As healthcare
planners, we must do more to prevent incidents of
illness and help people take charge of their own
health and well being. We believe that communities
have the capacity to help themselves to modify their
behaviors, to find solutions to problems that affect
not only their own lives, but also the well-being of
subsequent generations. First however, we must give
them the tools to fulfill this goal and shape the
vision of 21st century medicine.
Since knowledge is power, it is through
education that the good health of this community
will prosper.
In pursuit of that ideal, the
Houlton Regional Hospital took a significant step
towards identifying the health related issues
specific to our area and convened a Community Health
Education Steering Committee composed of 17 members
representing the hospital, local social service
agencies and other health care providers. They
began gathering comprehensive data about the
region’s most prevalent health problems and
prioritizing a plan of action based on a needs
assessment. It quickly became apparent that an
extensive program of community health education was
desperately needed in the area. However, it also
became clear, that current facilities were
inadequate to accommodate these multiple
initiatives.
The
Challenge…
Encouraged by the Steering Committee’s endorsement
of the Community Health Education Program, the
Trustees of Houlton Regional Hospital supported the
need for a meeting facility to house the expanding
community health operations. In May of 1997 the
Board approved the construction of a new education
center to be housed on the third level of the
Medical Office Building.
The creation of three separate conference/meeting
rooms, each accommodating auditorium or classroom
style seating with removable dividers provides
seating for up to 150. Each room is equipped with
the most modern audiovisual technology available,
including projection, video, assisted listening
devices and satellite links to allow for
teleconferencing. The Center is available for use
by dozens of agencies and health care providers
throughout the region.
The
Campaign…
Audio/Visual equipment installed for the center
cost $125,000 and annual program support costs are
approximately $50,000. Since there are limited
dollars available from operations to support the
total costs, the Health Services Foundation stepped
forward to help. Created in 1983 as a charitable
organization, “to solicit, receive, administer and
distribute funds for the benefit of nonprofit health
care in the Southern Aroostook region.” The
Foundation accepted the challenge of raising a total
of $625,000 — not only to equip the center — but
establish a $500,000 Endowment Fund providing annual
support for the programs.
In the future we must take steps to keep our
community healthy by giving individuals the tools of
education to improve the quality of their own
lives. With the continued generosity and support of
the community, we will help make this vision a
reality. |
